DAVID AND GOLIATH BATTLE GOES ON
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HE BATTLE between Waterouse Coaches Ltd, Polegate, ussex, and Southdown Motor ervices Ltd, to decide which hould be licensed to operate oliday coach tours from Easturne (CM June 11), was ontinued at Eastbourne and diourned until July 12.
At the new hearing (June 8 to 30), a second application y Waterhouse for a licence, r C. Cochrane, presenting he Waterhouse case, said the ime was opportune for reconideration of the earlier deciion. An error had then been ade in not calling sufficient vidence of need from the blic. On this occasion there ould be 24 public witnesses and many more could be called if need be.
Southdown should not have the right to run all licensed coach tours from Eastbourne. Waterhouse had a more personal approach and its tours were substantially cheaper.
• Passengers would stay in one coach throughout.
Evidence from and crossexamination of witnesses continued until June 30, and was followed by evidence from Mr Martin Harris, tours superintendent of National Travel (South East) Ltd. He claimed it was untrue to say Southdown had a virtual monopoly of holiday tours from Eastbourne as it faced stiff competition from private-hire operators, including Waterhouse.
Licensed tours had to be advertised to fill them up and this cost Southdown £39,000 last year plus a contribution to a national advertising campaign.
While it was not suggested Waterhouse would have to advertise on this scale its costs must increase if it had to advertise to fill licensed coaches. Southdown costs had gone up by 33 per cent in the past 12 months and some of these increases must also affect Waterhouse.